No One from Nazareth

Here’s a prayer of praise for this Sunday’s lectionary readings (C of E). I’m leading worship on Saturday for a Pioneering Parishes taster day with the Diocese of Bristol and this piece of writing arrived:

Praise to you, Jesus of Nazareth

Local boy unrecognised

Not a member of the popular set

Coming from nowhere in particular

Israel’s Basingstoke, East coast fen, passed over mining town.

Praise to you, Jesus of Nazareth

Praise to you, Fulfiller of prophecy

Disrupter of the status quo

Speaker of uncomfortable truth

Directing attention towards those who are not yet present at the feast.

Praise to you, Fulfiller of prophecy

Praise to you, Bringer of change

Catalyst of wholeness

Lock picker of closed doors

Provider of new lenses

Calling everyone from death to life: from isolation, competition, addiction, fear.

Praise to you, Bringer of change

Praise to you, Creator of newness

Original storyteller

Improviser from what comes to hand

Initiator, re-imaginer and sustainer of traditions

Praise to you, Creator of newness

We come to You, seeking the gifts we need from the No One of Nazareth who picked the lock of death and opened the door to newness, life, and change.

We silently name these gifts now: those we seek for ourselves and for our congregations.

(Picture by Ariel on Unsplash)

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